Devon Prep Defeats Berks Catholic For PIAA Class 4A State Championship: Kehler on Hoops
Written by: Andy Herr on March 28, 2025
Article by David Kehler
Devon Prep defeated Berks Catholic 55-39 on Thursday night at the Giant Center in Hershey for the PIAA Class 4A state championship. The tactical game by two well-coached teams was close for three quarters, until Berks Catholic faded in the final frame. Both teams had outstanding preparation for the title game, which was interesting throughout.
It was clear from the outset that Berks Catholic was determined not to be defeated by Devon Prep’s strong inside offense. When Devon Prep got the ball down low, Berks Catholic defenders collapsed on the ball and hit the board hard. Devon Prep, for their part, was clearly aware of Berks Catholic’s outstanding Kingston McKoy, a 6’ 2” junior, and they rotated defenders vs. McKoy throughout the game in their man-to-man defense. As such, the teams’ defensive strategies and play dominated much of the action.
The teams exchanged leads in the early going. Then, Devon Prep’s Mason Thear, a 6’ senior, hit a 3-pointer to put his side up 10 to 8, and Berks Catholic trailed for the rest of the game. Devon Prep’s outside shooters, though, had difficulty finding the range in the first half, perhaps due the unusual shooting background presented by the Giant Center, with its large spaces behind the basket and the sides of the court. Berks Catholic’s marksmen had no such trouble in the first half, as four different players scored from beyond the arc in the first 16 minutes of play, tallying five 3-pointers between them.
Devon Prep had a narrow 28-25 lead at halftime. McKoy scored 10 of Berks Catholic’s first half points. McCoy scored the last five points of the second quarter on a 3-pointer followed by a fast break layup, giving Berks Catholic momentum heading into the second half.
McKoy’s scoring run continued with a drive to begin the third quarter, trimming Devon Prep’s lead to a point, 28-27. Then, in pattern that would repeat for the balance of the game, Devon Prep responded. 6’ 5” Devon Prep senior Zane Conlon scored on a drive, and his sharpshooting teammate, 6’ 2” senior Calvin Smith, hit a 3-pointer. For the rest of the game, every time Berks Catholic surged, one of the Devon Prep players would respond with a clutch basket, or a forced turnover, or a timely rebound, or some combination of those things. The composure of both squads was uncanny in the back-and-forth flow of the game in the third quarter. With 2:17 left in the third frame, Devon Prep’s Thear hit a very clutch 3-pointer to give his side a 38-33 lead. Berks Catholic came right back at them with a 3-pointer by 6’ 1” sophomore, Johnny Giesa, his only score of the game. The third period ended with Devon Prep up 38-36, and, once again, a quarter had ended with Berks Catholic having the momentum.
Devon Prep opened the fourth quarter with a 12 to 0 run to seal the win. The energy that had propelled Berks Catholic throughout the game faded down the stretch. Devon Prep’s run began with a spinning drive by 6’ 7” senior Reece Craft, followed by a 3-pointer by Thear, a 3-pointer in transition by Smith, two free throws by Craft, and a drive by Thear. Berks Catholic had run out of gas, indicated by Devon Prep’s 10 to four advantage on the boards in the final frame. Berks Catholic was outscored 17 to three in the fourth period.
A marker of the defensive discipline by the teams in this game is that Berks Catholic attempted only two free throws in the contest, and that Devon Prep went to the line only five times until some late futile fouling by Berks Catholic.
They have a term in soccer, golden generation, for a group of players on a side who are consistent winners across a span of years. This was the final high school game for Devon Prep’s golden generation. The team started five seniors vs. Berks Catholic. They had a great year, capping a string of great years. The team advanced to the semifinals of this season’s Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs, the most challenging high school basketball competition in Pennsylvania and one of the most challenging in the United States. Devon Prep won the Class 3A state championship last season and also in 2021-22. Kudos to them and to their outstanding coach, Jason Fisher. It’s been a wonderful run.
Berks Catholic started one senior, three juniors, and a sophomore vs. Devon Prep, and their sixth man was talented 5’ 10” freshman Carmelo Harper. In Snip Esterly, Berks Catholic has one of the top coaches in the state. They have a great shot at winning the title next season.
Berks Catholic 10 15 11 3-39
Devon Prep 18 10 10 17-55
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